Field of the Invention and Description of Related Arts
This invention relates to a medical keyboard apparatus used for such medical system as an electronic endoscope system and provided with data inputting mechanical switches and function executing flat switches.
Recently, in such medical electric apparatus or medical electric system as an electronic endoscope system, it is general to form a system having a function of recording in a recording medium diagnosis data to prepare or effectively utilize clinical charts so as to be made a data base and to be able to be referred to in the later diagnosis or the like. In such case, a keyboard is extensively used to prepare patient data.
The keyboard used in the medical field, that is, the medical keyboard is used to input a comment on each inspected (or diagnosed) patient. In the case of the medical keyboard, during the medically inspecting operation, the medical keyboard will be likely to be polluted, particularly the inspected patient may be suffering from an infectious disease and therefore it is necessary to set the keyboard in a clean state.
Conventionally used is a mechanical type keyboard (in the journal of Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 175832/1989) formed of only mechanical switches high in the operability or flat type keyboard formed of only flat switches easy to maintain in a sanitary state.
The mechanical type keyboard formed of only mechanical switches has a merit of a high operability that it can be operated with a blind touch. However, it is not of a water-proof structure and is therefore of a structure likely to be covered with dusts or polluted. It requires a trouble to remove dusts. In case it is polluted, the sterilization with a sterilizing liquid will be a trouble.
On the other hand, the flat type keyboard is easy to be made of a water-proof structure. When it is made of a water-proof structure, even if it has dusts deposited or is operated by hand likely to be polluted during the inspection, when the keyboard is wiped with a sterilizing liquid, it will be able to simply have the dusts removed and to be sterilized.
However, in the flat type keyboard, in case the flat switches are operated, the movement of such movable members as the mechanical switches will be hardly able to be sensed by the touch of the operating finger and therefore its operability will be lower than of the mechanical type keyboard. Therefore, the flat type keyboard can not be substantially operated with a blind touch as in the case of the mechanical type keyboard. Therefore, in the case of the operation it will be necessary to perceive whether the operation is carried out or not.
In most cases, the medical keyboard is provided with data inputting keys mostly inputting characters and signs and function execution inputting keys executing functions. These data inputting keys and function execution inputting keys are different in the using frequency in response to the environment in which the medical keyboard is used.
In the medical keyboard used in such medical apparatus as, for example, an endoscope system, when a view or comment after the examination is to be input, data will be mostly input or, during the examination or diagnosis, a function for executing the examination or diagnosis will be mostly executed.
In such case, during the examination, the hands will be in a dirty state and therefore the keys which will be able to be simply cleaned even if operated with dirty hands will be desirable. If the function executing keys can execute one independent function with one key operation, they need not be able to be operated with a blind touch.
On the other hand, as such data as views or comments are input mostly after the examination, it is preferable that the data can be simply input (with non-dirty hands) to that inputting the data with dirty hands can be simply cleaned.
On the other hand, in the prior reference, for the data inputting keys and function execution inputting keys, under any environment, there can be selected and used the formation of only the mechanical switch or the formation of only the flat switch and therefore there is a defect that, in case the using frequencies of the data inputting keys and function execution inputting keys are different, the keys will not be able to be used as set in a more pertinent operating state.
Also, in the prior reference, it is very significant that the user has a little freedom to select a medical keyboard apparatus adapted to the environment and is provided with a medical keyboard apparatus of a higher multiplicity.
On the other hand, a mechanical type keyboard to which a touch panel is attached as an option as combined is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,380. This touch panel is to put data into a computer and is provided with keys arranged on the periphery of an ordinary keyboard and hard to operate so as to be used as fitted to a position easy to operate.
Therefore, in the patent of this prior reference, data can be input in a position easy to operate but by the touch panel and therefore the data can not be input by a blind touch. That is to say, the data input is different from the operation of executing the function set in advance and, in general, many data are continuously input. Therefore, the mechanical type keyboard wherein data can be input by a blind touch is preferable. This prior reference apparently resembles the keyboard of the present application but its function is different and the following objects can not be well attained in the reference.